Baseball

“I wrote 63 songs this year. They’re all about Jeter.” Just kidding. The game we love, the players we hate, and more.

Culture and Criticism

From Norman Mailer to Wendy Pepper — everything on film, TV, books, music, and snacks (shut up, raisins), plus the Girls’ Bike Club.

Donors Choose and Contests

Helping public schools, winning prizes, sending a crazy lady in a tomato costume out in public.

Stories, True and Otherwise

Monologues, travelogues, fiction, and fart humor. And hens. Don’t forget the hens.

The Vine

The Tomato Nation advice column addresses your questions on etiquette, grammar, romance, and pet misbehavior. Ask The Readers about books or fashion today!

The Vine: June 25, 2010
June 25, 2010 · 22 Comments
The Vine: June 25, 2010

I’ve got two really sketchy book descriptions that I’m hoping the Vine readers can identify.
In the first book, the main character wants to tile her shower to look like the periodic table of elements. I …

TN Read-Along #1 Discussion Thread: Going In Circles
June 24, 2010 · 42 Comments
TN Read-Along #1 Discussion Thread: <I>Going In Circles</I>

Don’t forget that Pamela Ribon is gracing us for a live chat on Wednesday 30 June at 8 PM ET. I’ll have a chat URL and an FAQ in the next day or two.
And now, …

Squared Up: Remember the Maine (…wait: don’t)
June 24, 2010 · 5 Comments
Squared Up: Remember the Maine (…wait: don’t)

On May 17, Hanley Ramirez boots a ball, loafs after it, and gets benched. He reacts by snarking on his manager, Fredi Gonzalez, for never having played in the major leagues; he also refuses to …

The Vine: June 23, 2010
June 23, 2010 · 56 Comments
The Vine: June 23, 2010

Dear Sars,
I’ve been in a committed relationship with someone we’ll call “Kim” for 3 years. For the last 2 years of that time, Kim and I have lived in different cities because of various school- …

The Crushed Film Festival presents: The Runner
June 21, 2010 · 21 Comments
The Crushed Film Festival presents: <I>The Runner</I>

The Movie: The Runner
The Crush Object: Ron Eldard
The Story: Compulsive gambler Edward (Eldard), who has obviously chosen to continue living in Las Vegas, gets a job through his Uncle Rocco (Joe Mantegna) as a runner …

The Vine: June 18, 2010
June 18, 2010 · 75 Comments
The Vine: June 18, 2010

Hi Sars,
I have a perfect birthday gift idea for my sister. At least, two-thirds of a perfect birthday gift. I’m hoping you or your readers can help me find the final third.
My sister loves …

The Vine: June 16, 2010
June 16, 2010 · 28 Comments
The Vine: June 16, 2010

Dear Sars,
I am having a bit of a family drama that I am hoping you can help me resolve. Here’s a little background: I have a cousin, let’s call her “Marie,” that I grew up …

It’s My Party
June 16, 2010 · 18 Comments
<I>It’s My Party</I>

A cable channel I watched frequently in the mid-nineties — I don’t remember which one; probably HBO — got the rights to It’s My Party, and the repellent promos, in which a woman simpered “it’s …

Anti-Word Of The Day: “rave-up”
June 14, 2010 · 32 Comments
Anti-Word Of The Day: “rave-up”

The Anti-Word Of The Day is, as you have probably guessed, not a word or term I want to catch on, but rather one which I would like to drop headfirst into a vat of …

Squared Up: Pitchers “hitting,” Perez “ailing”
June 12, 2010 · 9 Comments
Squared Up: Pitchers “hitting,” Perez “ailing”

Welcome to Squared Up, a new featurette in which I address various baseball questions and debates of the week. I don’t know yet how often I’ll do it or what day it will usually run, …